Thermostatic radiator valve



Feb. 22, 1944. M E, MlLLER 2,342,157

THERMOSTATIC RADIATOR VALVE *l vFili-ad Oct. 4, 1941 39 4 @Y 35' 3l 3a/342 '32 W' A I z IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 22, 194:4

aclarar y 'rnnntaos'ra'ric limiten vaiv'a Michael E. Miller, Umaha, Nebr. application october l, loll, serial No. naseii claim. (ci asma) (Granted ander the act ol March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928;*376 0. 6.257)

The invention described herein, if patented,`

maydae manufactured and used by or for the Government for Governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to radiator valves and more particularly to those types of valves that are capable of automatic and manual operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a thermostatically controlledrvalve which embodies an upright and an inverted bellows to control the llow of heating medium to the radiator.

`The connecting bar I3V is adapted to be actuated to open andv close the valve kI2 either by hand or automatically by meansoi.' suitable thermostatic Ymeans responsive to temperature variations, these twov operations taking place independently of one another.

The connecting bar I3 extends upwardly and terminates in a head I5 which engages the movable head I6 0f the` upright bellows I'l. Head I5 is resiliently urged into engagement with the movable head I6 by suitable means such as a coil Another object of this invention is to provide capable Aof numerous mechanical expressions, one of which, for purposes of illustration, is shown in the accompanying drawing, but it isV to be understood that this is for purposes of illustration only andris not to be construed as aflimitation of the invention, since slight changes in form and minor details of construction may be resorted' to without departing from the spiritof the invention. i

In the drawing. the fIgure represents a longitudinal vertical section through the device em-V bodying the invention. 1

Reference now .being had to the drawing by necting bar in response to temperature variation spring I8 bearing at its upper end against the under side of head I5 'and at its lower end on an adjusting cage I9 which is threaded into the interior ofthe tubular support 20, the position of the cage I9 predetermining the tension of the spring I8. The upper end of the bellows i4 is being suitably secured to the support 20 by any well-known means, such as a nut 2 I Saidspring I8controls the action of the conand also maintains the connecting bar in contact with the bellows I4. A packing disc 22 is placed between the connecting bar I3 and the bellows I4 to cushion the downward thrust of the connecting bar I3.

1n the form shown a tubular temperature transmission radiator 23 having circular iins 24 thereon is threaded into the interior of the valve body or casing 5 until it contacts the support 20. lSaid radiator 23 has internally threaded at y its lower end a support 25 to which the bellows numerals, in which Va valve body or casing 5 is n provided with inlet and outletpassages 6 and 'l respectively to` which tail pipes 8 and 9 may be connected by a nut I0 in one instance' for the A purpose of connecting the valve unit in the line.

A valve seat II is formed in the casing 5 in .any

` suitable manner and a valve I2 is movable toward y and away from the' seat Il to control the flow oi the heating medium throuahthe valve.` Preferably valve I2 is a packless valve and doesnot require the. usual packing required in valves of this type.

away from its seat II by a connecting bar I3. Leakage from the valve body is effectively prevented by the seal formed by bellows I4 .which is suitably connectedvto the valve I2 by any well-known means, such as soldering. Thus the valve I2 is constrained against rotation.

Said valve is operated toward and,

il is `suitably connected by any well-known means,`such as soldering. The radiator 23 has internally threaded into its upper end a support 26 to which is suitably connected by any i well-known means such as soldering an inverted bellows 21. c The radiator 23 and the bellows I1 and 21 form areservoir 28 which contains a iiuid 29 therein. The connecting bar I3 is constrained to` reciprocate by the expansion of the uid 29 inthe reservoir 28.` The pressure on the bellows Il `and the spring I8 forces the movable head I6 downward or upward so that the valve I2 is moved toward or away from the seat I I. Suitable means, such as an indicator 30 secured to the radiator 23 serves to indicate the extent of rota- -tion of a. hand wheel 3| with respect to the casing.

-The hand wheel 3| has a metal insert 32 which is threaded on to a revolvable member 33 which is retained in place by a circular nut 34 which is threaded on to the upper end o! the support 26. The support 26 is internally threaded to receive a manually adjusting screw 35 which bears against a packing disc 36 which rests on the bellows 21. The screw 35 has an adjusting stem 31 reciprocally mounted therein. This stem 31 has a stop 38 integral therewith and is adapted to be secured to the hand wheel 3| by means of a washer 39 and nut d0. l

Therefore, by rotating the hand wheel 3 I, metal insert 32 secured to wheel 3| and threaded on to revolvable member 33 and the stem 31 which is retained in place by compressing the stop 38 between the metal insert 32 and washer 39 by a nut d0, will move as a unit, causing the adjusting screw 35 to move downward and compress the iiuid 29 within the reservoir 28, thereby manually moving the valve I2 toward and away from the seat II.

The device described above may be installed, for example, with the tail pipe 8 connected to a source of supply of a heating medium such as steam and with the tail pipe 9 connected to a radiator or other point to which the said heating medium is to be delivered, the flow of said medium through the valve being automatically controlled by the thermostatic bellows I1 and 21 in accordance with variations in the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere. Preferablyvthe valve should be installed in such a position that the radiator 23 is subjected at all times to a free circulation of air at normal room temperatures and is not subjected to any unusually high temperature or cold draughts. 'In order that the thermostat shall be sensitive to temperature variations of the atmosphere care is taken to prevent conduction of heat from the valve casing or pipes to the thermostatic element.

The operation of the device will be understood from the foregoing description, assuming the valve I2 to be closed, when it is desired to open the same the handwheel 3l is rotated by hand, the valve I2, however, is constrained from rotation with hand wheel SI as above described by the bellows I4. Rotation of the hand wheel 3l will cause the valve I2 to be moved away from its seat II an amount depending on the extent of rotation of the revolvable member 33 relative to the indicator 30 on the radiator 23 and this may be guaged by suitable marking provided on the radiator 23 to register with the indicator 30. When Athe valve is thus in an open position, changes in vapor pressure in the fluid 29 in the reservoir 23 due to a change in the temperature in the surrounding atmosphere tend to expand the bellows 21 or permit it to contract due to the action of' the spring I8, and thus connecting bar I3 moving longitudinally within the support 20 and cage I9 tends to'move the valve 12 toward or away from the seat II. contraction of the iiuid and expansion of the spring will tend to reverse the actiondescribed and move the valve I2 in like manner with regard to the seat II. The pressure that is required to close the valve I2 is determined by the distance it is necessary to compress thespring I8 and this in turn is determined by the distance through which the valve I2 must move in order to reach the seat I I. The distance of the valve fromlzhe seat or the amount of travel required can be adjusted by adjusting the cage I9 carrying the connecting bar and spring. The pressure of the spring regulated by adjusting the cage moves the valve away from or closer to the seat. Therefore the vapor pressure or in other'words the atmospheric temperature at which the valve will be closed may be controlled by the extent of the manual opening of the valve and the revovable member 33 may be graduated to indicate the temperature which will be maintained. As stated, the valve may be closed manually by rotating the hand wheel 3| in the proper direction. Fine adjustment may be made at the factory 'by relative rotation between the cage I 9 and support 20, the support 20 remaining stationary at all times.

There is thus provided a thermostatically operated valve actuated by means of communicating upright and inverted bellows arranged one within the other so that both bellows can be completely filled with an expansive liquid which can be compressed by exerting pressure on the inverted bellows and in this way cause the upright bellows.

to travel in a downward or upward direction, thus providing a valve which can be opened or closed manually, independently of the thermostatic operation thereof but which when left open will be automatically controlled 'by the thermostatic bellows to regulate the ow of a heating or cooling medium so as to maintain a desired temperature automatically. Moreover, the temperature which is to be maintained may ce regulated by the extent of opening of the valve by hand. Thel entire construction is self-contained and is adapted tobe installed as a unit, requires no adjustments other than the initial adjustment of the device made at the factory and is'very easily operated. The construction is simple and desirable and has few parts, so that it is economical to manufacture while it is emcient and reliable in operation, and there is nothing that is apt to get out of order and require servicing Vexcept the thermostatic bellows, which can be easily removed and replaced without disconnecting the valve. Leakage from the valve is effectively prevented by the seal afforded by the bellows I5 connected to the valve I2. The heat transmitted through contact-of the parts with the thermostatic bellows can be turher insulated by use of insulating material or;"by insulating the contacts.

While only one embodiment of the invention has beengdescribed and illustrated in the drawing, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of a wide variety of mechanical expressions and that changes may be made-in the form, details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressedby the scope of the -appended claim. i

Having thus-described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a valve of the class described, a valve casing. a hollow radiator mounted directly thereon, an inverted bellows and an upright'bellows within said radiator, each having an open end secured to said radiator, said bellows being disposed one within the other and in mutual communication, temperature responsive iiuid within said bellows, said inverted bellows having a top positioned to exert pressure on said iluid, a valve stem engaged .with the bottom of said upright bellows and disposed in said valve casing, said Aradiator being f MICHAEL E. MILLER. 

